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Port Manatee handles export of massive Air Products LNG heat exchanger
Port Manatee handles export of massive Air Products LNG heat exchanger
PALMETTO, Fla. - Demonstrating its exceptional capabilities for moving oversized and heavy project cargo, Port Manatee has handled export shipment of a nearly 500-ton liquefied natural gas heat exchanger manufactured at the Air Products production facility across U.S. 41 from the port.
The massive unit, measuring about 15 feet in diameter and 180 feet in length, was transported in late October from the Air Products Port Manatee facility across the highway and directly onto the port's Berth 12, where it was loaded onto a vessel by Logistec USA stevedores for shipment.
"Expert shipment of special project cargos of such dimensions proves the outstanding ability of Port Manatee and its partners to handle such large and heavy pieces," said Betsy Benac, chairwoman of the Manatee County Port Authority. "Air Products has a dynamic, positive impact on Manatee County, and we are proud of our strong collaboration."
Air Products, the world's leader in LNG technology and equipment, chose the Manatee County location due to its immediate proximity to Port Manatee and easy access to the berth, as well as because it removed constraints on the size of LNG heat exchangers to be shipped. The 32-acre Air Products Port Manatee facility started production in January 2014 and rolled out the first completed LNG heat exchanger in September 2016.
Located "Where Tampa Bay Meets the Gulf of Mexico," Port Manatee is the closest U.S. deepwater seaport to the expanded Panama Canal and Cuba's Port of Mariel, with 10 40-foot-draft berths serving container, bulk, breakbulk, heavylift, project and general cargo customers. The port generates more than $2.3 billion in annual economic impact for the local community, while supporting more than 24,000 jobs, without levying ad-valorem taxes.
PHOTO:
An Air Products liquefied natural gas heat exchanger, weighing nearly 500 tons, is loaded onto a vessel at Port Manatee's Berth 12.